So The Story Goes
by NeverBeLonely
Summary: Legend has it that if you can successfully journey through the Labyrinth to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, the Goblin King will grant you a wish. Needing a way to give a better life to her family, Sarah Williams embraces the impossible and sets off for adventure. But nothing in the Labyrinth is as it seems. [Fantasy AU]
1. The Little Red Book

_**Author's Note**_

_I'm really excited to start sharing this story with everyone, I've had the idea in my mind for a while now and now that I've started to write it I'm really happy with how it's developing. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! For anyone following my story New Dreams, I do plan to keep writing that, but since my inspiration for it is a little dry at the moment, I thought I'd write something else to keep me in the flow of writing. This new story is coming to me much more easily at the moment, but I'll definitely go back to New Dreams once I find my inspiration for it again. With all that explained, please enjoy the first chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter One: The Little Red Book**

Sarah remembered when she had been given the book, the memory as clear as crystal in her mind.

She had been nine years old, her hair woven into two plaits and tied with simple, old ribbon. The pain of her mother's departure was still raw in her heart as it had only been a month since Linda Williams had run away to a bigger city, determined to have an opportunity to perform on a bigger stage, taking most of their fortune and dignity with her.

Her father had let her explore the little bookshop, although he had warned her they would not be able to afford to buy anything, and had patiently sat in an armchair in a corner of the shop, with her in his lap, for a couple of hours while she read to her heart's content.

It was then that the owner of the bookshop, a friendly man, old enough to be her father's father, had approached them and carefully knelt in front of the arm chair.

Her father had given him a smile and said, "Hello Mr Pratchett."

"Hello Mr Pratchett." Sarah had echoed.

"Hello Sarah," he'd replied, "I have a gift for you." He held a little red book out to her and she saw the golden elaborate letters on the front shine slightly in the light.

Her father had begun to protest, "Mr Pratchett, that's too kind, we can't take -,"

But the shopkeeper had shaken his head and pressed the book into her hands. "Please, I'm happy to give the gift, and I think Sarah will like it."

She had thanked him over and over until they had left the shop, holding the book tightly to her chest, and that night in her small room in the small house they'd had to move into after her mother had left, she'd read late into the night to finish the story, and once she'd finished it she'd spent long moments tracing the letters of the title on the cover, her small fingertips following the elegant letters of the word _Labyrinth_.

* * *

Now, ten years later, she carefully put the book into her back pack, along with all the other necessities for her journey. Her world had grown since that day, and she now knew more than just the small coastal city she had lived in since she was born. She had never actually travelled anywhere, but she had learnt as much as she could at school and taught herself more outside of her lessons. She had lost count of how many books she'd read in her life, she devoured them, always hungry for more knowledge and stories. She had learnt as much as she could, but she had a list of the three most important things she had learnt so far written in the journal that she kept for her most important thoughts and dreams and ideas. They were:

1\. To not idolise her mother.

2\. That life was not fair, but that did not mean you could not try to make changes.

3\. That all the fairy tales she knew, all the stories of magic, fantastical creatures and kingdoms beyond imagination, were true. And that included the story in her little red book.

One of these stories was about the sea that Sarah could see from her bedroom window. They lived quite close to the beach in their small house, and she could hear the waves moving across the sand as she fell asleep every night. But she knew the truth: the sea was not real. Well, there was certainly water there, but it was not the large expanse it appeared to be. Sarah knew that once you stepped into the water, the landscape would change, and you would find yourself facing a new coast and a new land. It had several nicknames, faerie land, the other world, and more, but the city that you first came across when you arrived there was the coastal city of Merroir.

It was a beautiful place, with a bustling market that sold wonderful treasures and trinkets. At least that was what Sarah had heard, she had never actually been herself, but she knew plenty of people that had, a lot of the business of her home town came from trade between the two cities across what was known as the Faux Sea.

But now, she had decided to make the journey across too.

In the past nine years her father had met someone else and had made her Sarah's stepmother. Not long after that, Toby, her half-brother, had come along. It had taken a long time for her to accept this change, since for a while it had just been her and her father against the world, and she had loved it, but then she had found herself having to adjust to these two new people in her life that her father cared about too. And she had not liked it at all, it had been difficult, and she had been difficult as well. But over time she had come to love them both, especially her brother, who was now three years old and sweeter than the peach flavoured chocolates that came across the sea from the other land and were sold in the local sweet shop. They were Sarah's favourites, but they could only afford to buy them once a year on her birthday.

Which was why she was going across the sea. Not for the peach chocolates, but so they could afford _more_. It had been nine years and their family had gained two more people, but they still lived in the small house and saved every penny they earned just to get by.

But Sarah knew that the story in her little red book was true, she knew that across the Faux Sea, past the city of Merroir and over the hills of the Crystal Valley (named for the water that flowed down in waterfalls looking like hundreds of diamonds spilling over cliffs), was the Goblin Kingdom, within which, at the heart of the Labyrinth there sat the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, where the Goblin King ruled. And she knew that he granted a wish to everyone that completed the great maze.

Sarah was going to get her wish, and she was going to give her family the life they deserved.


	2. Across The Faux Sea

**_Author's Note_**

_I am so glad everyone liked the first chapter of this story, it's something I'm really enjoying writing so I am very happy people are enjoying reading it!_

* * *

**Chapter Two: Across the Faux Sea**

Her parents protested of course, they did not want her to take such a big risk, or to feel it was her responsibility to look after the family. But she was an adult now, it was her choice to take the risk and she wanted to take it. They accepted that she was going in the end because Sarah was as stubborn as a rock and would go no matter what.

It turned out Toby was the most upset, and it was him she gave the longest hug to before she left. She was not going forever, she knew that, she would see her family again. That did not make it easier to leave them, even for just a short time, and when she lifted her little brother into her arms, she held him almost as tightly as he held onto her.

"I promise I'll come back, Toby," she said softly, "and I'll tell you all about my adventure when I do."

He looked up at her with his big blue watery eyes, and with his soft blond curls he looked like a little angel. His small hands clutched at her jacket. "You mean it?"

"I always mean my words, you know that." She kissed his forehead. "Be brave for me, okay?"

He nodded and she passed him over to his mother. She gave them all a soft smile as she put her bag on her back and then took a deep breath.

"I'll come back as soon as I can."

Her father nodded, "Make sure that you do, princess, we'll be thinking of you. We love you."

Her resolve trembled for a moment, but she kept smiling, and said, "I love you too," before she turned and left the small house, determined to see her mission through to the end. She was doing this because she loved them, if that meant she had to part from them for a short while, then so be it.

* * *

She walked the short distance to the beach, then sat on the sand to take off her boots and socks. She put the socks inside the boots, then stood again, carrying the boots, and took a final shaky breath before stepping into the cool water. She felt the wet sand beneath her feet, the water lapping at her ankles, and then almost fell over as the landscape changed around her.

In front of her was a new beach, and beyond that a bustling market square, dozens of colourful stalls being visited by humans and faeries and elves and more, some species that Sarah did not even recognise. The buildings around the marketplace were painted sweet pastel colours, the architecture beautifully detailed.

Sarah could not help but smile at the wonder of a whole new world in front of her, just a step away from her home. She walked out of the water and sat down on the sand again, drying her feet with a towel from her bag before putting her socks and boots back on. She carefully folded up the towel and put it back in her bag, then stood and walked into the market square. She found a stall where she could exchange her money to the local currency, and went to a few other stalls getting food, water and a map for the two-day journey to the Goblin Kingdom.

She had worked at Mr Pratchett's bookshop for the past few summers and had saved up enough money to pay her own way for this journey, and thankfully found she had enough to pay for a space on a passenger cart that went as far as Verren, the most populous city of the Crystal valley. There she would spend the night in an inn, and the next day she would walk the rest of the way to the Goblin Kingdom. She did not know how long it would take to walk through the Labyrinth itself, but she had a sleeping mat and blanket for if she needed to camp out for the night before she made it to the castle.

Sitting on the cart as it was pulled along by four strong horses, Sarah looked around curiously at the scenery that passed them by. This was not just her journey to find a better life for her family, this was her first venture outside of her hometown, and into the magical world, and she wanted to take in as much as she could. The ride took most of the day and she ended up talking with a friendly elven family sitting next to her, who were very excited to hear that this was her first trip into faerie land. They were a young married couple with two sweet young children, and they told her of how they lived in Merroir but were going to Verren to visit some friends. They were kind enough to share some of their food with her and, when they eventually reached Verren, directed her towards an inn they recommended.

She booked herself a room and then ate a meal in the dining room, curiously watching the other customers around her, before retiring for the night. Dressed in her nightgown, she stood by the window for a few moments, looking up at the stars of the night sky, and then out in the direction her map told her the Goblin Kingdom was. She rested her fingertips on the cool glass, gazing at the horizon, imagining the kingdom itself could feel her determined eyes looking upon it.

"Tomorrow," she whispered to herself, determined to make it true by saying it aloud, "tomorrow I will find my way to you, and to my family's future."

With that promise made, she closed the curtains, then moved to the bed and turned off the flickering oil lamp by the bedside.

* * *

The next morning she set out straight after breakfast, at first following the cobbled streets of Verren, looking at the stunning waterfalls flowing down the hills circling the city as she walked. But eventually her path took her along wide dirt roads, over the hills and down to dryer plains. Thankfully the roads did occasionally pass through forests and small towns and villages, so the view was at least interesting, and she had shade from the light of the sun, which seemed more orange than it did back home. She stopped a few times to rest and have a drink of water and some of her food, but for the most part she made herself keep up a steady pace, focused on her destination.

Finally, as the day reached the late afternoon, she crested a small hill and gasped at what she found laid out before her. The Labyrinth, a greater maze than she could have ever imagined, its walls and features seeming to shift and change whenever she blinked or turned her gaze, stood as a strong defence between her and the castle that was her goal. The castle too was impressive, looking tall and impenetrable in the glow of the afternoon sun.

Sarah stared for several long moments, the sight stirring something deep in her heart. She had read the story of this place so many times that she knew the words by heart, and now it was in front of her, real, and more magnificent than she had ever dreamed.

It awed her, but it did not stop her, of course. A deep breath in through her lips, then out again, and then she was carefully walking down the hill towards the outer wall of the Labyrinth. When she reached it, she saw that bushes and vines and other unidentifiable forms of vegetation grew along it, and there were several small pools of murky water spaced out in front of it. She was looking around curiously when she noticed someone about half her height ambling towards her, although he did not seem to notice her at first.

He had a spray bottle in his hand which he seemed to be aiming at some kind of insect, muttering numbers under his breath with each creature that he hit. It was only when he came closer that she realised they were small fairies and a gasp escaped her.

He looked up at her, startled, but before he could say anything she had dashed forward and knelt on the ground, gently picking up one of the fairies that had fallen after he had sprayed it.

"Oh, how could you do such a thing!" She glared at him as she cradled the little creature in her hands. It was so beautiful, with a dainty little body, and iridescent wings.

"It's a pest!" He replied in a gruff voice, frowning. "Believe me, they overrun the place if I don't keep the numbers down."

"A pest! How could you call such a beautiful creature a pest?" She was about to chastise him more when she felt a sudden sharp pain on one of her fingers and looked down to see the small creature grinning wickedly up at her before it flew off. She gasped and put her bleeding finger in her mouth, sucking on the small wound.

Her grumpy companion looked smug. "Told ya. Pretty things can be nasty too, nothing here is what you think."

Sarah sighed and took her finger out of her mouth, it had only been a small prick at her skin and had already stopped bleeding. "I'm sorry for assuming you were being cruel when you were only doing your job. I'm Sarah." She did not want to start off on bad terms with the first person she had met in the Goblin Kingdom, and as well as possibly making a friend she might be able to ask him for some advice about traversing the Labyrinth.

He looked surprised at her apology and regarded her for a moment before he spoke. "S'alright, I suppose. I'm Hoggle."

She stood up and offered him a smile. "It's very nice to meet you, Hoggle. I'm actually trying to get through the Labyrinth to see the king, would you be able to direct me to the entrance?"

Hoggle stared at her for a moment and then shook his head. "And I thought you seemed smart for a moment there." He turned and started to walk away.

She stood, stunned for a moment, then started after him, "Wait! What do you mean by that? Is it not true that if I complete the maze the king will grant me a wish? What is so unintelligent about wanting that?"

That stopped him, and he turned to look at her. "It's not the wishing that's stupid." He sighed. "I suppose you weren't to know, you ain't been here before, have you? It ain't as simple as taking a walk through a normal maze, you won't be the same after. And the king… he ain't what he seems either."

If this was meant as a warning, she would not let it stop her. Sarah lifted her chin and looked at him, trying not to show any nervousness. "I knew it would be a challenge when I set out to do it. I will not stop now. So, where is the gate, if you please?"

He gave her a thoughtful look. "Well, at least I told ya." He sighed again and gestured with his hand. "There it is."

Sarah turned and there it was, although she was quite sure it had not been in that spot before. It was a large metal gate, with so many vines growing up it that whatever lay beyond it was obscured. She stepped towards it and lifted her hand to touch it, but stopped when Hoggle spoke up again.

"Sarah." She looked over her shoulder at him and saw him hesitating. "Just… Be careful."

She was surprised but gave him a sweet smile. "I'll be as careful as I can be, thank you for your help, Hoggle."

With that said, she turned back to the gate and wrapped her hand around one of the bars. The metal felt warm beneath her fingers, and as she pulled the gate open, she felt something like a small electric shock travel across the skin of her palm, raising goose bumps along her arm.

Another deep breath, and she stepped into the Labyrinth, the gate slowly closing itself behind her.


	3. Choosing The Path

**_Author's Note_**

_Thank you for the reviews and follows, hopefully you enjoy this chapter too! Perhaps there will be a glimpse of his royal majesty in here somewhere..._

* * *

**Chapter Three: Choosing the Path**

Sarah found herself in a long corridor, old stone walls stretching out endlessly in either direction, the occasional piece of stone rubble or weed growing up between the cracks in the ground disturbing the path. She frowned, trying to see which way might be best, but she could not see any difference between them, if there were any twists or turns in the paths, she couldn't see them. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, she would have to make this decision on instinct. Left or right?

She opened her eyes and turned right, then started walking onwards. And kept walking onwards. And continued walking onwards. After a while she stopped and looked around. The walls just seemed to be the same, going on and on forever. She had yet to find a single twist or turn, and the ground stayed level and neither climbed or declined. Sarah let out a bewildered sigh and rested her hands on her hips.

"This is not quite the kind of challenge I expected to face." She said to herself, because it felt nice to have someone to talk to.

She frowned at the wall and nibbled on her lip as she tried to think the problem through. This long corridor could not just go on and on forever, she had seen the whole Labyrinth from the top of the hill and there had been much more to it than this, but she did not think she could face just walking on in a straight line for who knew how long, so she would have to find some way to a new path. Perhaps there was some kind of trick, like in the movies where they pushed a brick in the wall and a secret door opened.

Nodding to herself, Sarah turned to the wall and reached out to push a random brick inwards, only to fall forwards when her hand met empty air. She stumbled and managed to catch herself before she fell on her face. Standing up straight, she looked around in bewilderment, finding herself in a new passageway alongside the first one. She realised that part of the wall must have been a kind of optical illusion and remembered reading a book that had featured diagrams explaining those kind of illusions before. She only wished she had thought of that sooner.

Smiling as she noticed this new passageway appeared to have visible turns, Sarah started to walk again, mostly deciding on instinct which direction to go whenever she reached a forked path or crossroads. However, after a while she began to notice that certain parts of the walls or ground looked familiar, and realised she could be going around in circles. Deciding to be more careful, she got out her pencil case from her bag and unwrapped a small piece of charcoal she had placed in there, and then began to draw arrows and crosses on the stone tiles or bricks to mark where she had been and which direction she had taken.

It was not long before she encountered another problem, as she once again began to notice familiar details but could not see any of the markings she had made. This was explained when she turned a corner to see a small creature rubbing out one of her marks and then crawling back under a stone tile with a wicked cackle.

She gasped and rushed over to the tile, stomping on it and huffing out a breath in annoyance. Once again she placed her hands on her hips and looked around, at a loss for what to do next.

"This Labyrinth has a rather wicked sense of humour." She muttered to herself.

But there must be some way forward, otherwise she would surely be bumping into all the other people who had ever entered the Labyrinth looking for a way through.

Well, she had tried using her instincts, and she had tried being methodical. Sarah supposed all she had left now was creativity and stubborn determination.

She sat for a few moments to rest, have a snack and have a drink, then she stood and started walking again, keeping an eye out for anything different that she was certain she had not seen before.

The sun was dipping lower in the sky as she found an arch in a wall and stepped through it to find a beautiful flower garden. She felt breathless for a moment as she looked out at a sea of pastel coloured petals. There was barley an inch of the walled garden that was not taken up by a flower, they carpeted the ground and climbed up the walls, there were roses and tulips and kinds that Sarah had never seen before and suspected probably did not even grow on the other side of the Faux Sea.

She stepped forward and carefully walked through the flowers, not wanting to damage any of them. She was surrounded by wonderful floral scents that brought a soft smile to her face, and she moved her fingertips over the petals as she walked, feeling the softness of them underneath her skin. She had never been surrounded by such beauty and colour in all her life.

Carefully getting down on her knees amongst the flowers, Sarah looked around in awe. She slowly slipped her bag from her back, still breathing in the amazing scent of the plants around her, and then laid down on her back. She saw the soft orange glow of the sunset sky above her and smiled, despite feeling the exhaustion of the long day slowly beginning to overcome her body.

There was a calmness within her now, and as her eyes fluttered closed, she knew somehow that everything would be alright. She could stay here and sleep, for what ever could harm her in such a pretty place?

* * *

There was dancing. Perhaps she was dreaming. She did not really know where she was or when everything was taking place. Perhaps it did not matter. There was a wonderful floral scent in the air and she felt she could dance forever. She could forget her name, her purpose, and that would be alright, as long as she could dance. There were other people, dancing, clothes of light, pastel coloured fabric floating around them as they moved, they all seemed to blend together, moving past her in a soft blur. She was not worried, she did not have a care in the world.

She held the soft fabric of her skirts in her hands, lifting and moving them with her as she twirled. She was dressed in white, and she could feel that hair was undone and that the soft curls were swaying with her movements. There were gold markings climbing up her arms, vines slowly etching themselves along her skin. They did not worry her, she thought they were pretty.

Someone gently pulled her into a dance and she joined them, smiling. She was not wearing gloves but this person was, she could feel the softness of them on her hands, then her arms as they moved upwards, pulling her closer until her head was against their chest. She sighed softly and closed her eyes as they placed one hand on her back and used the other to hold one of hers. She had never danced formally before, but here it was easy and she moved smoothly in time with her partner, the music soft and light in the background, like a sweet lullaby.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up into the face of her partner.

Immediately, she knew he must be an angel. She had never seen someone so beautiful, so heavenly. There was certainly a soft glow about him. His hair looked as soft as a bird's feathers, and she reached up with one hand, touching it to confirm that it was. He gave her an indulgent smile, his lips a sweet pink and she moved her hand to touch them too, gently moving her fingertips over the soft skin. His gaze was knowing as he looked upon her with his bright blue eyes, one pupil larger than usual. She wondered if he found her as fascinating as she found him. She wondered if he would kiss her. She thought she might like that.

She leaned in closer, her fingers trailing along his strong jaw as she watched his warm smile.

_Sarah!_

The voice echoed around the room, or her mind, she was not sure. She blinked and looked around in confusion, searching for the source. Was that her name? Was somebody looking for her? How could they be?

_Sarah! _

"Toby." The name fell from her lips in a whisper and she looked up at her dance partner again. He was smiling a little less, but his gaze was understanding.

She turned and gently left his arms, although she was reluctant to do so, but she knew she should follow her little brother's voice. She rushed through the room as she heard him call for her, then cried out in pain as she felt something tighten around her arms. She looked down and saw the golden vine markings on her arms glowing, then she was falling to the floor, crying out again as the pain increased.

Suddenly she was opening her eyes, even though she could not remember closing them, and looking up at the sky of early morning sunrise above her. Her breath came out in gasps and the air felt cool around her as she looked down at herself, finding that vines really had captured her arms, and were now climbing up her legs too. She cried out, this time in fear, and struggled to be free of the bindings. The flowers seemed to loom over her, more sinister than when she had first found them, but in a burst of adrenaline she managed to pull free, ripping the vines and reaching quickly for her backpack. A sudden overwhelming feeling of sorrow overcame her, sadness at having to harm the beautiful plants, but even as tears streamed down her cheeks, she stood on shaky legs and ran from the garden, not looking back to see the flowers reaching for her. She kept rushing forward, out through an archway and down a new path, and she was still running on and on, until the ground suddenly disappeared out from under her and she went tumbling down a hill.


	4. Watch Your Feet

**_Author's Note_**

_I apologise for the long wait, but this chapter is a little longer than the others, and I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

**Chapter Four: Watch Your Feet**

Sarah tumbled to the bottom of the hill, the hard ground bruising her skin and rocks tearing her clothes. By the time she finally slowed to a halt at the bottom of the decline, she felt thoroughly beaten. Several gasping breaths came out of her as she recovered from the shock and it was several more moments before she could bring herself to stop crying. Slowly she sat up and tried to gather her thoughts, checking her bag and taking out a handkerchief to wipe her face with. Taking a few more calming breaths, she found an apple in her bag that was not too bruised and ate it before taking quite a few sips from her water bottle.

"Just a little tumble," Sarah whispered to herself, finding the sound of her own voice oddly reassuring. "You can move on from this and keep going. You just need to be more careful."

The encounter with the flowers and the following fall had certainly scared her, but at least now she knew not to underestimate anything she saw, and to be more careful where she put her feet.

After a little more rest, Sarah carefully stood up and started walking again, finding herself on a wide path through a vibrant forest. She tried to walk quietly so as not to disturb any creatures that might live in the forest, but eventually she could see something moving through the trees ahead, and the closer she got the more she could hear all the noise they were making. Perhaps she could walk around without them even noticing her.

But her curiosity got the better of her and just as she peaked through a gap in the trees to look at the creatures, red fur bursting out all over their thin bodies, one of them looked up and spotted her.

It shrieked and jumped high in the air, pointing at her, "Look! A girlie!"

Before she could get away, suddenly she was surrounded by four or five of them, it was difficult to keep count as they all danced around so much, and, to her horror, she realised they were throwing their body parts at each other, arms and legs and all sorts.

With a voice that came out shakier than she wanted it to, she said "I'm sorry for intruding, I'm just trying to get through the forest to the castle."

"What do you want to go there for?" One of them, rather rudely she felt, asked.

"Yeah, stay and play with us!" Another shouted in her ear and she winced, leaning back.

"I'm afraid I don't really have time for playing."

"How boring," a third one complained, "perhaps we'll play with you instead."

This sounded rather sinister, so Sarah tried to unsuccessfully move away from them.

"I need to see the king." She protested.

"Just play for a moment, come on, take off your head!"

Sarah gaped at the determined creature, "I beg your pardon?"

"Like this!" It grinned and Sarah thought she might faint when it literally took of its head, throwing it up in the air and catching it again. Another one took out its eyes and began to juggle them, and it was at this point Sarah decided she needed to run.

"No thank you!" She called as she took off at a sprint, ducking under their arms as they reached out after her.

She could hear them calling out to her still as she ran, could hear their large feet hitting the ground as they scrambled after her, but she kept on pushing forward, despite her already sore muscles. As she rushed around a corner, a large tree appeared before her, and without thinking about it, she rushed to climb up the it, the big branches thankfully making it easy to quickly climb up and hide herself.

Sarah tried to calm her breathing, swallowing and looking down as she heard the strange creatures approaching. She watched them dance around the tree for a few minutes, but they could not seem to see her, and eventually seemed to grow bored of looking for her, running off to play some other game. She sighed in relief and leant against the truck, closing her eyes for several moments.

"My lady?" She heard a high-pitched voice enquire.

Looking down, blinking in surprise, she saw a small fox-like creature, oddly dressed somewhat like a knight, standing next to a much larger creature that she could not have given a name to if she tried, but that certainly had a lot of fur. Peaking out from behind the fox knight was a rather normal looking dog, somehow the most out-of-place of the lot.

Sarah cleared her throat, rather bewildered. "Yes?"

The fox knight smiled up at her gallantly. "We saw the fireys running away from here and thought we might find a damsel in distress! I am Sir Didymus, this is my noble stead Ambrosius, and my brother Ludo."

Sarah thought she had never seen two people who looked less like brothers, but she supposed if that was what they had decided to be then it would be rude to question it. Ambrosius did not look particularly noble, in fact he looked as if he might run away if she looked at him funny, but she thought it would be probably be rude to say that too.

"Well, I'm Sarah, and it's very kind of you to come to my aid," she began, not wanting to be ungrateful. "But I think the danger has passed now that they're gone, I just need to climb down from this tree."

Sir Didymus nodded. "Ah, of course, brave maiden! Brother Ludo will be happy to catch you, I'm sure."

Ludo nodded and held out his arms. "Ludo catch." His voice rumbled, but Sarah found it unusually reassuring. Still, she did not plan on jumping down from such a height.

"Thank you for the offer, Ludo," she said, something in his kind eyes making her voice turn soft, "but I shall try to climb down first."

She carefully placed her feet on the next branch down, keeping a firm grip on the tree. Slowly she made her way down, Sir Didymus almost constantly proclaiming how impressive he found this. Eventually she reached a low branch, and dropped from there into Ludo's arms, which she found to be a very comfortable place to land.

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

He smiled back at her and gently put her down. "Ludo friend."

"And I would also be proud to call you my friend my Lady!" Didymus announced. "Do tell us where you are headed on your journey, perhaps we will be able to accompany you."

Sarah gave them all a kind smile but shook her head. "I think this is something I am supposed to do on my own, I am going to the castle to ask the king for a wish."

They all looked at her with wide eyes, and Sir Didymus looked as if he was about to get down on his knees. "A noble quest indeed! Might I suggest taking the bridge over the Bog? That is a beautiful spot." He gestured with his small arm to one of the paths leading away from the large tree.

Ludo shook his head. "Bog smell bad."

Didymus looked at him in astonishment, "My friend, I have never smelt such a wonderful scent as that which comes from the Bog of Eternal Stench!"

Sarah was sure there must be quite the story behind this bog, but she already felt she had dealt enough with misleading scents for one journey. "Do any of the other paths lead towards the castle?"

The knight nodded, gesturing to another path. "That leads through the crystal pools," he looked uncertain for a moment, "although you must be very careful not to step in the water, my lady."

Sarah considered, then nodded. "I will take that path and make sure to be careful, thank you for your advice."

"You are most welcome; I hope we shall meet again." Sir Didymus bowed.

Ludo nodded and waved. "Sarah friend."

She smiled softly at them and even managed to give Ambrosius a small pat on his head, before waving to them all and setting off again.

"There are so many different people here." She remarked to herself. "Some so terrifying and some so sweet."

But her thoughts of the creatures she had met soon left her mind as she came upon the sight of the crystal pools. There were hundreds of them sitting between the trees of the forest, which stood on small grassy paths weaving their way between the very still, glassy pools of water. It looked like someone had set hundreds of mirrors into the ground. The whole area was very quiet, she could hear herself breathing and no breeze disturbed the water or leaves of the trees.

She started walking along one path, careful not to let her feet touch the water, remembering Sir Didymus' words. Looking into one of the pools as she passed it, she could not see the bottom, although the water was very clear, which unnerved her. There did not seem to be anything in the pools at all, and yet she could not help but feel that there was something in the depths of the water.

Sarah could not be sure how long she walked through this part of the forest, but as every minute passed, she felt more and more sure there was something else there with her in the quietness, something waiting for her to slip up and make a mistake. It was the most beautiful and peaceful part of the Labyrinth she had been in so far, but it was quickly becoming the most terrifying too. She felt like there was a chill constantly running down her back.

A small smile of relief graced her lips when she noticed the forest thinning out and discovered she could see a meadow through the trees up ahead. Reaching the tree line bordering the edge of the meadow, she stopped for a moment and put her bag down at the base of a tree, lifting her arms upwards and stretching out the tension in her muscles. Looking out across the meadow as a soft breeze blew through the long grass, she saw a tall wall on the other side, and beyond that, the tall towers of the castle.

Her breath was stolen from her throat at the sight of it. She was so close. The Goblin City was just inside those walls, she just had to find the gate. A happy laugh spilled from her mouth, then was suddenly brought to a halt when she heard a splash behind her.

Very slowly and carefully, Sarah turned and looked at the pool behind her, but the water was still, and the forest was as quiet as it had been when she was walking through it. She looked down and confirmed to herself that her bag was still where she left it and had not fallen into the water. Moving a very small step closer to the pool, she looked down to check there was nothing in it, then gasped as the ground underneath her foot crumbled slightly, causing her boot to slip slightly into the water. Before she could pull herself away, a hand shot out of the water and gripped her ankle. A scream escaped Sarah's throat and then was cut short as she was pulled sharply into the water, the cold water suddenly surrounding her a harsh shock.

Suddenly she was under the surface, struggling against the hand around her leg, trying to fight her way back above the water, her body already straining for air. But the hand kept pulling her down until she was face to face with the creature that had stolen her away into the pool. It was something like a mermaid, its upper half vaguely human, but its skin matching the blue-green colour of its tail, its hair floating around its head was a dark silky blue. It blinked at her with dark eyes and touched her face as Sarah saw black spots beginning to obscure her vision.

She had never noticed how valuable a breath was until she was not able to take another one.

She looked up, trying to swim to the surface, but everything felt heavy, and the creature was still clutching at her, in fact it was showing its sharp teeth and looked ready to take a bite.

This could not be it. Not the end. Not when she was so close.

Her family would never know what had happened to her.

She had promised Toby she would come back.

Her thoughts were swimming through a fog, she could not seem to focus.

She suddenly thought of the angel in her dream. Somehow, as she imagined him gazing upon her, his expression changed, his expression firm, judging.

"I suppose your wish was not so worthwhile, if you cannot overcome this trial." She imagined him murmuring.

It sparked something within her, her body might be weakening more with every second, her mind delirious with lack of air, but her soul was still determined. With a power she did not know she was capable of, she turned and looked sharply at the creature, her last breath coming out in a hiss, bubbles exploding around her face. The creature let go of her in surprise and Sarah used the opportunity to burst upwards, finally breaking the surface. She coughed and choked and took in great gasping breaths, then, struggling up onto the bank, she crawled out into the meadow and laid down on her back, sunlight slowly bringing back her warmth as she recovered.

_Be careful where you put your feet_. Sometimes you need to learn a lesson twice before it really sinks in.

She felt on the brink of tears, but took deep, slow breaths, determined to calm down and move on. She was still alive; she was still determined. She could do this.

"I can do this." She whispered to herself, her voice slightly croaky. She sat up slowly and pulled her bag towards her. First, she took careful sips from her water bottle, then she looked around to check she was alone before taking off her wet clothes, using the towel in the bag to dry herself, then putting on the dry spare clothes in her bag. She wrapped the wet clothes back in the towel, put them in her bag, then brushed her fingers through her wet hair and redid her braid. After taking a few more moments to eat a snack, she stood up, put the bag on her back, and faced the wall.

"I will find my way in, and I will see the king." She spoke the words out loud, hoping that would give them more truth, then set off, walking along the wall to find the gate.


End file.
